This application relates to an administration server and an image processing system. More specifically, the application relates to an administration server and an image processing system having an image forming apparatus whose access and execution of a processing operation are restricted per user.
In a conventional image processing system, at least one image forming apparatus is connected to an IC card authentication device and an IC card authentication server through a network. The image forming apparatus includes a scanner unit, a printing unit, a facsimile unit, and the like.
In the conventional image processing system, the IC card authentication device retrieves user authentication information from an IC card of a user, and transmits the user authentication information to the IC card authentication server. The IC card authentication server determines whether the user authentication information is registered in user authentication information database, so that the IC card authentication server authenticates the user according to a determination result. Then, the IC card authentication server transmits access control information to the IC card authentication device according to a user ID. The access control information includes an image forming function of the image forming apparatus such as a printing operation permitted to the user.
Further, in the conventional image processing system, the IC card authentication device identifies the image forming apparatus that is permitted to use, and a selection menu of the image forming apparatus is displayed on a display unit. When the IC card authentication device receives a selection that the user inputs, the IC card authentication device generates an access control command according to the access control information thus received, and transmits the access control command to the image forming apparatus thus selected. The image forming apparatus displays a function selection menu, in which only the image forming function is permitted according to the access control command thus received, on an operation panel thereof. Accordingly, it is possible to authenticate the user and the access control of the image forming apparatus per user (refer to Patent Reference).
Patent Reference: Japanese Patent Publication No. 2010-67111
In the conventional image processing system disclosed in Patent Reference, it is difficult to permit a usage of only the image forming apparatus limited to a specific user.